The Last Drop

Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion – Ah ha! I am finally attempting to master animal themed bands. Well, really I was a fan of Panda Bear and he happens to like other mammals, so why not give his crew a try? I was really thinking I couldn’t bear the hippiness and jam bandness of Animal Collective. But how wrong I could be. I LOVE this album! How did this happen? Who am I? Where did all of these musical taste changes come from? I’m slightly terrified that Merriweather makes so much sense to me. But that thought is fleeting as I listen to this album more and more. The perfect blend of experimentation, vocal layering, and pop sensibility to provide an accurate allusion to the ’60s. Yet it speaks so clearly of the future. Maybe this is where Americans can embrace electronic music. You can dive into the lyrics or let the sounds swirl in your head and still get a great sense of pleasure from this album. And each song has a clear ending (how rationale . Alas, I will have to give in to these animal cravings more often if this is the outcome.

Back from rehab, here are my Top Drops from a fairly fruitful March:

Panda Bear, Person Pitch – This is really growing on me. The clammering 60′s soundscape genre may well become a new territory for permanent exploration in 2008. I don’t know if I will find too many artists better than Panda Bear however. Maybe I should just Take Pills.

Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago – It doesn’t hurt to have an amazing, gut-wrenching story to help further your bid for melancholic genius. Perfect for a spring day that calls for snow (thank you, irregular weather patterns across England!)

Jay Z, American Gangster – A growing Jay z obsession?! Maybe. I think I really appreciate ’70s soul samples and Lil Wayne on his grimiest game. Say goodbye to Katrina, Hello Brooklyn!

Panda Bear, Person Pitch – Hurray for the 60′s! I’m slowly but surely getting adjusted to the fact that I may actually like much of the music from this time period. I know, how do you put a hard and fast line out on a decade of music? And of all decades??? Well, to be honest, I think I am a post-modern type of gal. I make a few exceptions (mid century R&B/soul is ALWAYS good), but there is something to the way that contemporary artists interpret music from this era that is much more intriguing to me. If the artist is really good, they can usually take the blueprint of the legend they are imitating and create something even more inventive. Or at least this what I gather from artists like Jim Noir, Jamie Lidell, and the Magic Numbers. Pay homage but let the space ship take off from there.

In Person Pitch we get the salute to the Pet Sounds era Beach Boys – rhythmic collages, ambient noise and reverb til the cows come home. I usually get lost in all of this noise, but Person Pitch finds a way to make it all sound coherent. Well, if not coherent, joyous and celebratory. It also hits at many different genres which makes it all the more repeatable. Not only can I let the sound wash over me, I can also delve deep into each song and pick away at the many layers. In an odd way, it reminds me of Beck – constantly shifting focus but always remaining focused. The devil is in the details and Panda Bear succeeds at marrying the playfulness of sloppiness and fulfillment of layering. Don’t know if I will be able to move over toward the experimentation of Animal Collective, but it does give me confidence that they are talented.